Dora's eye has now cleared out on IR, and microwave shows
continuing organization and consolidation (here is an
earlier microwave as well). The links on the NRL home page continue to be more jumbled than usual the last couple days, but the most recent image can be found by selecting "previous." I find it confusing that Dora has had a hybrid-y look and some clockwise circulation above the TC (upper level winds), and recently convection appears to be a little removed from the center, yet the circulation appears deep looking at cloud top temps.
Fri lunchtime update: this is what was cooking, and it makes sense now. Wow.
Fri evng update: Intensity estimates indicate Dora has strengthened to the equivalent of a strong Category 3 hurricane today. While another crazy busy day at work left me with hardly any time to take a look, just now I got a little caught up, and saw that it looks like while the SAB intensity estimates showed a steady increase, the CIMSS ADT went from 3.7 at 0630Z to 5.8 at 1430Z (inbetween data points are missing from the history file), and JTWC advisories went from 85 to 110 kt. The eye has been clearing out and warming. It'll be interesting to see the first visual images tonight! The evolution to annular was interesting, and I'll have to go back and take a look this weekend, as I missed most of it happening in real time.
The first visual images remind me even more of a hybrid TC (wv and ir also seem reminiscent of 2005's Epsilon, although that TC only made it to the threshold of hurricane strength), and it appears Dora likely peaked overnight.
Sat morning: JTWC nudged the intensity up from 110 to 115 kt, but earlier this morning the SAB 0830Z satellite intensity estimate noted, "REMARKS...DORA APPEARS TO HAVE PEAKED ABOUT 12 HOURS AGO WITH COLDEST SURROUNDING TEMPERATURES. IT HAS REMAINED ABOUT STEADY STATE PAST 6 HOURS OR SO. DT=6.0..." The very large eye (30 nmi) has started to reduce in size. Satellite imagery of the TC remains remarkably beautiful.